And into the Fire
by blacklotus21
Summary: The sequel to "Come in From the Cold." A few months after settling in with his Uncle Dudley, Billy is struggling to balance his personal life with his loyalty to the Justice League. But when a deadly new threat rises, he must rise to the challenge...or risk losing everything.
1. Chapter 1

And into the Fire

Billy eyes narrowed as he stared down his sworn enemy. The air around him hung heavy on his shoulders as he tried desperately to conceive a plan to defeat his hated foe.

" _No…no that wont work. What if I…no, that's not the answer either. How do I get out of this? Oh, geez…"_

A veritable gallery of enemies and crises had challenged the young hero before, vying with his wit and mettle while threatening to bring about calamity to his hometown. The constant strife had gifted Billy with the ability to think quickly and manage myriad situations without getting overwhelmed. He employed these talents on a regular basis. This time, however, the child champion found himself at a loss as to what to do.

Billy gritted his teeth. He had to overcome this. After everything he'd gone through, after all of the maniacal monsters and arcane arch-nemeses, he wouldn't go down easily. The small hero readied himself mentally and resumed his search for the answer that would be his salvation.

Finally conceded that division with decimals, and math in general, was not his strong suit.

Rapping his pencil on his desk, the raven-haired boy sighed pensively. He was never going to get this right.

"Is everything okay, Billy?" a voice queried, shattering his concentration. The boy peered over his shoulder to find his teacher staring down at him with a amused smile. He grinned back before returning his gaze to the partially completed worksheet in front of him.

"Not really, Ms. Berch," he answered quietly. "I just don't get what I'm doing wrong. Even with the answer, it's just so confusing."

Billy watched as his teacher picked up the sheet and examined it for a moment. Noticing his error, she chuckled and handed the paper back.

"You just moved the decimal over too far. It's supposed to be 1.23, not 12.3. That's why your answer is such a small number."

Billy stared at his work for a few seconds.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

Ms. Berch failed to stifle a laugh, and Billy couldn't suppress the embarrassed blush that came to his cheeks. At that moment, the bell rang, and the pair regained their composure.

"You'll get it, Billy. Just keep practicing and you'll get the hang of it in no time."

"Thanks Ms. Berch!" the young boy yelled back as he dashed out the classroom and through the hall of his small school. Emerging outside, Billy took a deep breath of the frigid February air and smiled. He tugged on the sleeve of the navy windbreaker to shield himself from the chilling breeze cloaking the quiet town. As he rounded a corner, something in his pocket began to buzz. Billy rapidly ducked into an alley, removed the small Justice League communicator from his pocket, and pushed the large black button in the center of the device.

"Captain," Batman's voice greeted from the other end of the line. "You're needed in Washington D.C."

* * *

Captain Marvel touched down outside of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and surveyed the chaos around him. Panicked civilians dashed about, running past police as the azure-clad public servants tried vainly to quell the pandemonium.

Just another day as a member of the Justice League.

The mystical champion looked up to find Green Lantern hovering overhead. He wasted no time in greeting his viridian companion.

"Did you get a haircut or something?" Captain Marvel asked with a grin. "You look different."

"I just need some coffee," Hal replied mirthfully. "Good to see you finally made it. I was worried you'd miss the museum tour. Apparently they're doing an exhibit on magical artifacts. I wonder who thought that would be a good idea."

"Where are…" Captain Marvel began.

"Everyone's already inside," Green Lantern interjected. "Bats asked me to stay out here and make sure the civilians get out safely. He and Zatara are already inside dealing with the bad guys. You should probably join the party before the guests leave."

Captain Marvel merely nodded before swooping into the building. The crimson hero navigated scattered exhibits and crushed rubble, his mind racing with unanswered questions.

 _Magical artifacts? Batman never said anything about that…_

The mighty mortal broke from his contemplation as he entered a ruined atrium and was nearly flattened when Batman hurtled past him into a wall. Captain Marvel turned his attention to the center of the room, where he found Zatara engaged in an eldritch duel with Klarion. He spotted Catwoman on the other side of the hall, carefully cutting a hole in a glass case. She eyed the carved stone inside with a cool certainty, years of experience steadying her hand. Before the feline fatale could finish, the magical champion careened into her, sending her sprawling across the marble floor.

"I'm sorry," the mystical hero said as he hovered above his dazed foe. "If you want a souvenir, you need to buy one at the gift shop."

"I'm not here for a keychain," Catwoman said as she flipped to her feet with stunning alacrity and brandished an ebony bullwhip.

Captain narrowed his gaze. "Why are you doing this?

"A girl's gotta eat," Catwoman answered as she slowly prowled the shining hall, silently searching for a chance to strike. The crimson-clad champion eyed her with distrust and subconsciously floated a little higher off the ground. He had dealt with her before, and had learned from his previous mistakes.

The feline villain noticed her opponent's unease and smiled. "What's wrong, big boy? Afraid of little old me?'

"You're not the type of villain to deal in magic," Captain Marvel commented, ignoring his adversary's mockery. "Did someone send you?"

"Ah-ah-ah," Catwoman replied. "I won give away all of my secrets. Unless you wanna come down here and make me…"

Suddenly, the agile thief leapt towards the partially open display case. With a fluid motion, she flourished her whip and shattered the glass, scattering glittering shards about the room.

Captain Marvel sprung into action. In an instant he was on top of the feline felon. Using his tremendous strength, he easily pinned the acrobatic burglar and wrestled the artifact from her grip.

"I like a man who gets physical," Catwoman said. The acrobatic burglar wriggled out of her captor's grasp and sunk her claws into his shoulder. Captain Marvel instinctively flicked his shoulder upward. Using the momentum, Catwoman vaulted into the air, performed a graceful backflip, and landed silently behind him. The mystical champion turned, shock apparent on his features. Noticing his astonishment, Catwoman grinned and gave a small bow.

"What were you expecting? Don't you know cats _always_ land on their feet?"

"Captain!"

Captain Marvel turned to the sound of Batman's voice just in time for a blast of raging hellfire to crash into him, sending a spray of sparks smattering across the scratched marble and forcing the magical rock from his grip. The floating champion felt himself collide with one of the pillars near the entrance of the exhibit. Shaking off the force of the blast, he stood. Before he could take a step, Zatara and Batmans flew through the tense air and collided with him, knocking him off balance once more. The two magical heroes quickly collected themselves and faced their enemy.

But it was too late.

"You lot may be 'super,' but it looks like you still need some work on the 'hero' part," Catwoman stated tauntingly as she examined the arcane artifact in her hands.

"Later, losers! Nyah nyah!" Klarion taunted before uttering a few magic words. A vortex of scarlet flame engulfed the pair, playing haunting light off the chipped marble floor and filling the air with flickering embers.

 _I've got to stop them!_

Captain Marvel lunged forward with the speed of Mercury, his arm outstretched in an desperate attempt to get the artifact. But his foes were already gone. He turned to Batman, who was staring at him with an unreadable expression.

"I'm sorry. I tried to…" the crimson-clad champion began.

"Don't," Batman interjected. "Right now, we need to go regroup at the Watchtower and plan our next move."

"We all could have done better," Zatara commented while he brushed the dust from his suit. "It's not your fault, Captain."

"Let's get going," Batman stated firmly. "Superman is already waiting for us."

"Ummm…actually…" Captaim Marvel responded, "…something came up in Fawcett…"

Batman stared at his magical companion for a few moments before nodding.

 _He knows what I mean…_

"Alright, Captain, I'll tell the rest of the League. I expect you in the Watchtower tomorrow for debriefing."

Before Batman could change his mind, Captain Marvel flew out of the museum.

* * *

"Ugh, I'm never going to get all of this done," Dudley moaned as he skimmed the paper in his hand. He quickly eyed the stack of paperwork on the kitchen table and sighed woefully. He had been filling out paperwork and searching for information for weeks, and yet felt as if he had gotten nowhere.

"Please attach a copy of the minor's medical records and documentation showing…where do they expect me to get all of this? I had enough trouble trying to get any records from that stubborn lady at foster care. I bet half of this stuff doesn't exist at all. I mean, I rescued the poor kid from being buried in the snow, and now these bureaucrats are trying to bury me in paperwork…"

Dudley's gaze flicked to the opened letter on his desk. The pristine envelope seemed to taunt him, the golden "FCDCS" seal whispering silent warning to the aging handyman.

"I mean, what does that damn judge know about kids? So what if I don't have a lot of money? Sigh…what am I going to do?"

"Uncle Dudley! I'm home!"

The white-haired guardian turned and watched his mirthful charge put his backpack down and take off his shoes. A wide grin overtook the boy's features, as he slid across the hardwood floor and stopped in front of Dudley. The weary man opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when Billy wrapped him in a hug.

"Be careful kiddo," Dudley said as he returned the child's loving gesture. "You're going to fall over if you keep doing that. Just like you did last week."

"Okay," Billy acquiesced before letting go of his adoptive uncle and taking a seat on the couch. "So how did your court thingy go? You still haven't told me what you went to do, you know."

"Just fine," Dudley replied, his tone wavering ever so slightly. "It's nothing you need to worry about." Dudley cleared his throat. "So how was volunteering at the shelter, Billy? Did everything go smoothly today?"

A subtle shiver climbed up the little boy's spine.

"Uhh…it went great! Everyone was really nice to me, and we got a lot of the new donations sorted. We might have a canned food drive next week. That'll be really good for everyone.

Eyeing the kitchen table, Billy quickly diverted the conversation.

"What's all that paper for?" the kind boy questioned.

Dudley's eyes widened, and he quickly scooped up the scattered parchment and set it to the side.

"Oh, it's just some bills and stuff," Dudley said with a faux-smile. "It's _my_ homework."

Billy let out a belly laugh. "Well, I already did mine in class."

"In that case, are you hungry?" asked Dudley. "I already made dinner."

"Oh boy, I'm _starving_!" Billy replied.

The two sat down to enjoy a family meal, oblivious to the ominous figure watching through the window.

* * *

A note from the author:

Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay on this story. Life and law school have been hectic, and I've been buried with work for some time now. Thankfully I've got more time, and I'm ready to write the next installment in our young hero's journey. Thank you for your patience and support in these past months. I hope it was worth the wait. Shazam!

-Lotus


	2. In the Dark

In the Dark

The steady whir of an overhead fan and the methodical tapping of Superman's foot pierced the silence of the Watchtower's main computer bank. The alien champion stared Batman down as the detective sifted through information and news feeds, which flashed on a large holographic screen.

"Bruce," Superman said, trying to get his comrade's attention. The shadowy vigilante simply continued to type away, seemingly oblivious to the Man of Steel's impatience. The sound of footsteps drew Superman's attention to the door behind him. Green Arrow waved briefly from the doorway before continuing down the hall.

His impatience growing, Superman turned back to Batman and spoke again. "Bruce."

"Not now, Clark," the Dark Knight answered without turning away from his work. A picture flashed on screen, and Superman noticed a slight change in his companion's features

"Now, Bruce," Superman pressed once more. He crossed his arms and watched as the stoic detective logged off the terminal and walked out of the room. Superman fell in step beside him, doing nothing to hide his agitation.

"I'm not in the mood to play games, Bruce," Superman stated sharply. "I want to know what Catwoman and Klarion stole from the museum."

"So do I, Clark," Batman retorted as the duo entered the Watchtower break room. "But I need time to investigate." Superman's expression softened.

"What have you found so far?"

"Not much," answered Batman. "The stone is part of a set of five magic artifacts dating back to Ancient Egyptian times. Archaeologists have found depictions of the artifacts in several ancient temples and tombs. Two of the other relics were stolen from museums in Berlin and Manhattan. And a fourth was excavated from a Bialyan tomb six months ago. Its current location is currently unknown."

"I'm not looking for a history lesson, Bruce," Superman chimed in tersely. The alien hero stomped up to a cabinet and grabbed a glass off the bottom shelf. "I want to know what they do."

"There are no records of what the artifacts do" Batman responded. "I haven't been able to learn anything that would explain why Klarion and Catwoman went through the trouble of stealing them. I put in a call to Dr. Fate, but he is predisposed dealing with a magical incident in New Orleans.

Superman scowled silently and he poured himself a glass of water. He had been hoping to hear something different.

"We need to know what these items do, Bruce," Superman asserted. "If we don't figure out what our enemies are planning…"

"We need to be patient," Batman replied. The Dark Knight strode out into the hall and turned to face his perturbed comrade.

"Patient?" Superman responded as he turned towards the doorway, "who knows what…"

But Batman was already gone.

Superman gritted his teeth angrily. "I hate it when he does that…"

The Man of Steel took a seat at a steel table, brooding silently. Black Canary waved to her flustered comrade as she passed, and he gave a terse nod in reply. But his thoughts quickly wandered back to Batman.

 _I'm starting to wonder whose side he's really on…_

"Clark!"

Superman turned his attention to the Flash, who was hovering in the doorway.

"We have a problem!" the speedy hero rambled, his words muddling into a barely coherent mix of sound.

Superman shot up from his seat.

CRACK!

The alien hero glanced down at the remnants of his water glass scattered across the floor.

"Dammit," he spat under his breath.

"No time for that! We have to go!" the Flash yelled.

Wasting no time, the alien hero followed his companion out of the break room.

* * *

CRACK!

Billy shot up in bed, eyes darting frantically about his darkened room. There was no sign of the sudden sound that had interrupted his slumber. He had woken from a nightmare, as he often did. His pillows were strewn haphazardly about the foot of his bed, and his blankets were bundled tightly around his waist. Billy sighed and looked over at the small night light near the entrance to his room.

 _Maybe I'm just imagining things…_

 _Whoooosh_

Billy's eyes widened, and he tightened his grip on the edge of his covers.

No, he _had_ heard something.

The boy peeled away his covers and slipped out of bed. The aging hardwood floor creaked under the child's weight as he exited his room. Billy kept a firm grip on his bedroom doorknob as he surveyed the moonlit hallway for intruders. Nothing.

Billy forced his fears into the back of his mind as he made his way to Dudley's room.

 _I'm too old to be scared of the dark. There's nothing here that can hurt me. I'm part of the Justice League. I'm not afraid._

Billy grasped the handle to Dudley's bedroom door and turned it slowly, wincing as the door let out a strained _creak_. He steeled himself mentally and peered inside.

Billy's eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness of Dudley's room. He could vaguely make out his Uncle's slumbering form tucked under the covers. The elder man's chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, the quiet sound of his breathing disturbing the silence. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Billy took a step forward and surveyed the room. Again, he found nothing out of place.

The boy smiled. In the time he had spent with Dudley, Billy quickly learned that nothing could wake the aging handyman once he fell asleep. Billy, on the other hand, was conditioned to sleep very lightly. It made sense that he was the only one of the pair to hear…whatever strange noise he had heard.

Still somewhat nervous and unable to fall asleep again, Billy padded down the hall and emerged in the common area. He looked around the moonlit room for signs of an intruder, but could find nothing out of the ordinary. Aside from a few dirty dishes in the sink and Dudley's mess of papers on the table, the room was as organized as it ever was.

 _Maybe all of this Justice League stuff is getting to me…_

Billy grabbed an empty glass from a cabinet overhead and poured himself some water. The boy took a seat on the couch and tugged on the leg of his flannel pajamas, trying to drive away his anxiety.

He was just hearing things. He was sure of it.

Searching subconsciously for something to hold his attention, Billy's eyes fell on the stack of papers Dudley had been working on earlier. The weary boy recalled how his adoptive uncle had avoided discussing his work earlier, instead diverting the topic. His curiosity peaking, Billy set his glass of water down on the coffee table and shuffled over to the table. He picked up a paper on the top of the stack, raised it to his eyes, and squinted to try and read it in the dim light. The boy could make out a few words: "child," "hearing," and "form." He also managed to make out a few strange strings of numbers and letters that made no sense to him.

 _I wonder if Batman could tell me what this means. He_ is _a detective._

Billy smiled at his own thoughts as he walked over to the coffee table and picked up his glass of water. Taking a long gulp, he put down the glass and watched as his shadow shifted across the wall.

 _Wait a minute, that doesn't look like my shadow_.

Billy stumbled back as the dark form shadow rose from the floor to form a dark mimicry of the terrified boy, and took a step forward. Two glowing green eyes ignited on the figure's ephemeral form, and it opened its faux-mouth in a haunting imitation of a smile. Before Billy could react the creature was upon him, slashing at him with its dark claws. Using what little he had learned from other members of the Justice League, the child managed to roll out of the way and regain his footing. The malicious shadow creature's momentum halted in midair, and it turned into a floating mass of shadows once again. In a flash, the creature took his form once again. Billy dashed behind the kitchen counter and hid, relishing in the momentary break in the action. He sucked in a deep breath.

 **Sha-**

Billy caught himself.

 _I can't turn into Cap here. If I do, I could wreck the apartment, or the entire building! And Dudley would be too suspicious of Cap showing up in his living room._

Billy reached up and grabbed a kitchen knife.

 _I need to get rid of this thing without waking Dudley. I don't know if this thing is here for me or not. If he wakes up, it might attack him instead. I need to get rid of it before he gets hurt._

Preparing a plan of attack, Billy peered from behind the counter to find the room empty. He stepped out from behind his cover, knife brandished defensively.

 _Where did it go?_

A sound like rushing wind caused the fearful boy to turn and come face-to-face with his spectral assailant. A swipe by the creature tore the sleeve of his pajamas and caused him to stumble back. Shifting his weight forward, Billy ducked under another of the shadowy creature's strikes and plunged the knife deep into the monster's stomach.

His attacker seemed not to take notice of the weapon lodged in its body as it pounced at Billy once more, causing the boy to flip over the couch and land roughly on his back. Choking back the urge to cry out in pain, Billy grabbed the couch and tried to leverage himself to his feet. Before he could stand, his opponent surged forward and dug a shadowy claw into his arm.

"Aaagh!" Billy screamed involuntarily, falling back again and clutching his wounded arm. The creature eyed its own bloodied appendage and froze suddenly. In a final desperate attempt to save himself from the mysterious shade, Billy grabbed his glass off the table and flung it at the dark creature.

Without warning, the frozen ghast vanished in a puff of smoke, causing the glass to miss its target and shatter against the far wall.

Still shaking, Billy slowly clambered to his feet and clutched his bleeding arm. Tears pricked at his eyes as he stared at the spot where his attacker had been moments before.

Without warning, the lights in the apartment flickered to life.

"Billy? Billy!"

The injured boy turned to find Dudley standing at the entrance to the great room, a look of horror on his face.


End file.
